The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) has expressed its commitment to continue to support efforts that will institutionalize cervical cancer screening at all levels of healthcare in the country.
The Director General of NICRAT, Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, stated this while declaring open a two-day National Workshop on Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines for Nigeria, in Abuja, recently.
He explained that: “Our role includes technical leadership, coordination of national protocols, facilitation of training for healthcare providers, and the development of monitoring systems to ensure that no woman is left behind.
“The NICRAT has been at the forefront of this effort. As the coordinating body for cancer control, research, and surveillance in Nigeria, we are proud to play a leading role in this important process. Our work supports the goals of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and aligns with the vision of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination.”
While calling for concerted effort to ensure that no Nigerian woman dies from a preventable disease, Prof. Malami lamented that: “Cervical cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality among Nigerian women.
“It is, tragically, both preventable and treatable, yet it persists, often because of late presentation, inadequate access to screening, and weak linkages to care.
“For too long, Nigerian women have borne the burden of this disease, often in silence, and too often without the benefit of early detection or timely treatment.
“This is why today’s workshop is so important. It provides a platform for the development of a harmonized, evidence-based national guideline for cervical cancer screening, one that is context-specific, technically sound, and implementable across Nigeria’s diverse healthcare landscape. These guidelines will serve as the operational blueprint for an effective, scalable, and equitable cervical cancer screening program in our country.”
The NICRAT DG recalled that the World Health Organization (WHO) has laid out an ambitious target through the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer.
This strategy, according to him, is built on what experts refer to as the “three prevention windows” which include vaccination, screening, and treatment. “Specifically, it calls for 90% of girls to be fully vaccinated against HPV by the age of 15; 70% of women to be screened with a high-performance test by the ages of 35 and 45; and 90% of women with cervical disease to receive appropriate treatment.
“While HPV vaccination offers immense potential for protecting future generations, screening remains our most powerful tool to save the lives of women who are at risk today. It allows us to catch the disease at its earliest pre-cancerous stages, when intervention is most effective and least invasive.
“Early detection means timely diagnosis; timely diagnosis means prompt treatment; and prompt treatment means lives saved. Without robust, widespread, and standardized screening, the goal of elimination remains aspirational,” he said.
The workshop which drew participants from key institutions including government agencies, international organisations, development partners and health experts was targeted at reviewing, refining and finalizing a national cervical cancer screening guideline aligned with WHO standards and adaptable to the Nigerian context.
